Sask. government announces more than $5.5M to create more training seats for future health-care workers

The Saskatchewan government says it will spend more than $5.5 million to create more than 550 total new post-secondary seats in 18 programs for people looking to get into careers in health care.

The spending, announced Tuesday, is part of the government's Health Human Resources Action Plan. It is meant to increase training capacity at the province's post-secondary institutions and reserve seats for Saskatchewan students in highly specialized programs in other provinces.

The province said in a news release that the money will lead to more in-province training spots for jobs including medical laboratory assistant, continuing care assistant, primary care paramedic, licensed practical nurse, pharmacy technician, clinical psychologist, physical therapist, and mental health and addictions counsellor.

At an announcement event for the funding in Saskatoon, Advanced Education Minister Gordon Wyant said the plan is based on four pillars: recruit, train, incentivize and retain. 

"Ultimately, the plan will improve the quality and timeliness of health services for all people in Saskatchewan," Wyant said.

"This will open up exciting new health-care career options for many more Saskatchewan students by giving them greater access to training for their career of choice."

Wyant said this investment will focus on "some of the most critical needs," like primary care paramedics and continuing care assistance.

It will also purchase more seats for Saskatchewan students outside the province in specialized programs including respiratory therapy, magnetic resonance imaging technology, diagnostic medical sonography, occupational therapy, electro-neurophysiology, cardiovascular perfusion, speech language pathology and environmental public health.

Health Minister Paul Merriman said the plan doubles the number of seats in some places and adds new seats in oother regions.

"This expansion significantly increases health educational opportunities for Saskatchewan students. We have a lot to offer here in our province," he said.

"This plan will benefit all of us into the future."

The government said this announcement builds on previous funding from 2022-23 meant to add 150 nursing seats in Saskatchewan's registered nursing, registered psychiatric nursing and nurse practitioner programs.

Saskatchewan students can access financial aid, including loans, grants, bursaries and scholarships, the province said, along with up to $20,000 in tax credits for those who stay in the province through the graduate retention program.

Rural and Remote Health Minister Everett Hindley said the plan is an "important announcement" for rural communities.

"We are seeing pressures on the system when it comes to making sure that we have enough staff," Hindley said.

"This is an important part of that in addition to recruitment, training, incentivization of health-care workers and the retaining of health-care workers."

The Health Human Resources Action Plan is expected to spend more than $60 million to add more than 1,000 health professionals to the province's system over the next few years.